Keyboard for printing-telegraph apparatus.



I W.'ZABEL. KEYBOARD FOR PRINTING TELEGRAPH APPARATUS.

APPLECATION FILED APR. 28, 1914.

Patented. Apr. 27,1915.

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INVENTOW wrm Essw WILLIAM ZAIBEL, 0E EDGEWOOD BOROUGH, PENNfiYLVANIA,

0F SWISSV SWITCH {it SIGNAL COMPANY, PENNSYLVANIA.

ASSIGNOR TO THE UNIQN ALE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF KEYBOARD FOR PRINTING-TELEGRAPH APPARATUS.

' Application filed April 28, 1914.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM Zaenn, a citizen of the United States, resid n at Edgewood Borough, in the county of Kile gheny and State of vented certain new and useful Improvements in Keyboards for Printing-Telegraph Apparatus, of which the following 18 a specification.

My invention relates to keyboards for printing telegraph apparatus.

no object of my invention is the provision of means for preventing the repetition of a signal in case a key is held in the depressed position.

I will describe one form of keyboard embodying my invention, and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

The accompanying drawing is a sectional View, partly diagrammatic, showing one form of keyboard embodying my invention.

Referring to the drawing, the keyboard comprises a suitable frame 1 in which a key 2 is pivotally mounted on a rod 3 extending' transversely through the frame. It is understood that this key is one of a plurality of similar keys all of which are pivotally mounted on the rod 3. The key 2 is biased to the raised position against a stop l by a spring 5, and may be depressed against the action of this\spring until it is stopped by a bar 6 fixed in the frame 1.

7, 7, etc, are a plurality of flexible con tact fingers each of which is adapted to be moved into engagement with a corresponding fixed contact 7*, and each of which again moves out of such engaging position, due to its own resilience, when the pressure upon it has been removed. Means are provided for each key whereby the depression of the key closes one or more of these contacts, which means I will now describe. Each contact finger 7 is provided with a rocker arm R, each of which arms is mounted to oscillate on an individual rod 8 mounted in the frame 1, and each of which arms is operatively connected with the corresponding finger 7, by suitable means which is indicated diagrammatically inthe drawing. Fixed in each rocker arm is a rod 9 which extends transversely across the frame 1 and by means of which the arms may be rocked. The rear end, of each key 2 is upturned and Specification of Letters Patent.

Pennsylvania, have in Patented Apr; 27, min...

Serial No. 834,981..

terminates in proicimity to a bar 10 mounted to reciprocate in the'frame 1, each key the corresponding contact finger or fingers Each bar 10 is provided with a difierent combination of lips 10', so that each key closes a difierent combination of contacts. It is understood that each rocker arm R is biased to the position shown by the resilience of its contact finger 7, so that when key 2 returns to its elevated position the bar 10 is returned to the position shown by the action of the rocker arms l3 on the lips 10.

S is a sunflower which is controlled key 2 and which coacts with the contacts '(7 in the usual and well known manner to transmit signals over a telegraph line L. This sunflower comprises a iixed annular bloclrlft ofin'sulation in which are mounted eight contact disks 13. 11 is a shaft which is continuously rotating in the direction of the arrow, and on which an arm Ll is trio tionally mounted. This arm 14 carries a contact linger 15 which sweeps over the contact disks 13 when the arm is rotated by the shaft 11.

Owing to thefriction between shaft 11 and arm 14:, the normal tendency is for the arm to rotate with the tion of the arm is prevented, except when desired, by a pawl 16 pivotally mounted at 16 in the frame 1 and biased by a spring 16 to operative position in. the The pawl 16 may be swung out of operative position by a stem 17 which is actuated by a hammer 18 when the key 2 is struck, themechanism between the key and the hammer being as follows: The hammer 18 is fixed to one end of a resilient bar 19, the other end of which is fixed in'an arm 24 which latter is rigidly clamped to a shaft 23 suitably mounted to oscillate in the frame 1. Also rigidly fixed to shaft 28 is an arm 22 which carries a universal bar 21 extending across the keyboard under all of the keys 2. The vertical movements of bar 21, and consequently the oscillations of shaft 23, are reshaft, but this rota path of arm 14'.

stricted by a stop 26 fixed to the frame 1 and having a jaw in which the bar 21 moves. The bar 21 is biased to the raised position by a spring 25.

When the key 2 is depressed it strikes bar 21 as it approaches stop 6, thereby swinging hammer 18 upwardly. The parts are so adjusted that when the key is in its depressed position against stop 6, hammer 18 is a short distance below the lower end of stem 17 and I the arm 14 is therefore not then released.

When however key 2 is suddenly depressed, hammer 18 is swung upwardly, and the inertia of the hammer is such that it bends the bar 19 and continues its upward movement, striking stem 17 a sudden blow and thereby actuating-pawl 16; the hammer then immediately retracts from the stem, due to the resilience of bar 19, so that even if the key 2 is held down, pawl 16 immediately returns to the operative position. The moinenta'ry operation of pawl 16, however, releases arm 14 and allows it to make one revolution, at the end of which it is again stopped by the pawl. During this revolution a signal is transmitted over a telegraph line L, which signal comprises a combination of electrical impulses from a battery 27 depending on' which contacts 7 7 are closed by bar 10. It will be seen that if key 2 is held in the depressed position, the signal corresponding to this key is not repeated because the arm 14 makes onl one revolution. I Although have herein shown and describedonly one form of keyboard embodying my inventiomit is understood that various changes and modifications may bemade therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A keyboard for printing telegraph apparatus, comprising a key, a continuously rotating shaft, a device to be intermittently rotated and tending to rotate with saidshaft, holding means for preventing rotation of said device, a hammer, means controlled by said hammer for releasing said holding means, yielding means interposed between the hammer and the key for moving said hammer when the key is depressed, said hammer b'eing normally out releasing position when the key is in the depressed position and said hammer havingsuliicient inertia to carry it momentarily into releasing position when the key is struck.

2. A keyboard for printing telegraph apparatus, comprising a key, :1 continuously rotating shaft, a device to he intermittently rotated and tending to rotate with said shaft, a pawl for preventing rotation of said device, a hammer adapted to actuate said pawl to release said device, yielding means interposed between the hammer and the key for moving the hammer when the key is depressed, said hammer being normally out of actuating position when the key is in the depressed position, and said hammer having suificient inertia to carry it momentarily into the releasing position when the key' is struck. I

3. A keyboard for printing telegraph apparatus, comprising a key, a continuously rotating shaft, a device to be intermittently rotated and tending to rotate with said shaft, holding means for preventing rotation of said device, a resilient bar, means for swinging said bar when the key is depressed, a hammer fixed to said bar, means controlled by said hammer for releasing said holding means, said hammer being normally out of releasing position when the key is in the depressed position, and said hammer having sufficient inertia to carry it momentarily into releasing position when the key is struck. v

4. A keyboard for printing telegraph apparatus, com rising a key, a continuously rota-ting sha t, a sunflower having an ele ment to be intermittently rotated and tend-- ing to rotate with said shalt, means controlled by said key and by said sunflower for signaling, holding means for preventing rotation 0 said sunflower element, a hammer 'for releasing said holding means, yielding means interposed between the hammer and the key for moving the hammer when they key is depressed, said hammer being normally out of releasing position when the ke is in the depressed position, and said ham.- mer having sufficient inertia to carry it momentarily into releasing position when the ke is struck.

n testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM zAenL. Witnesses:

A. HERMAN Wnonnn,

R. L. KISTLER. 

